Growing Up
by funhog316
Summary: Tony loves Kate. Kate hates Tony. Can Tony convince Kate that he's the perfect man for her?
1. Chapter 1

Tony Dinozzo was bored. And a bored Tony Dinozzo was usually, if not always in trouble. Looking around for some entertainment, he found a little box of paperclips (the ones he saved to flick at Kate), some superglue (the best kind when he felt the need to superglue McGee's fingers to his keyboard), and his little address book he kept hidden with names and numbers of women he... was fond of. He looked over at his teammates. McGee was typing furiously with his brow furrowed as he concentrated very hard. Kate was talking on the phone with ….someone... and it bothered Tony that he didn't know who it was. He got up and walked over to Kate's desk. Kate looked up and turned her chair so she didn't have to look at his annoying face. Tony chuckled and knelt down. "Hey! Hey Kate!" he whispered loudly. "Who are ya talking to?" "Go away Dinozzo." Kate answered without even looking at him. Tony grinned and tugged lightly on her hair. "Hey Katie! Who are ya talking to?" he repeated. Kate glared at Tony and said to the person she was talking to on the phone, "Hey, let me call you back. I have something that just came up." Kate said. As soon as she hung up, she turned to Tony and pushed his back so he landed on the floor. "First of all, don't call me Katie. Do it again and I will shoot you. Second, it's none of your business who I talk to. Believe it or not, I have a life outside of this building that does not involve you." Tony, still laying on the floor, grinned up at Kate and said, "Katie, if you wanted to see me on the floor all you had to do was ask..." he said suggestively as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. Kate blushed and reached for her weapon. "Not today Kate." Gibbs said as he exited the elevator. "I know how badly you want to shoot Dinozzo, but not today. We have a dead petty officer in Alexandria. Grab your gear."

Later, at the crime scene, Tony was busy dusting for fingerprints when he noticed Kate was smiling down at her phone. "Who're you texting?" he asked. "Your mother and she said it's none of your business and get back to work." Kate replied. Chuckling, Tony walked over to Kate and tried to look over her shoulder. "Dinozzo!" Kate elbowed him in the ribs and moved away from him. "Why do you always have to know who I'm dating and who I talk to? It's annoying!" "Kate, you wound me. I was merely looking out for you." he replied. Rolling her eyes, Kate said, "I don't need you looking out for me, Tony. It's none of your business who I date." And with that she glared at him and walked out. Tony watched her leave, and was surprised to find himself genuinely bothered that she was dating someone and that someone was not him. 'Where did that come from? Since when am I interested in Kate?' Tony thought to himself as he picked up his dusting equipment. But in the back of his head a little voice knowingly said 'Umm... since the moment you first saw her on Air Force One.' Sure Kate was smart, caring, and funny not to mention the most beautiful woman he had ever seen (and he had seen a lot of women) but Kate was better than the usual girls he went out with. The girls he went out with were usually only after one night stands or a two week relationship. That was about all Tony could handle. Kate wanted a serious relationship with a respectful man. She wanted a long term relationship that maybe turned into moving in together and then getting married and then... kids. Tony gulped at that thought. But that little voice challenged his thoughts and asked, 'Why can't you be that man? If it's bothering you so much that she's dating someone else, then do something about it!' Tony shook his head, 'She doesn't want me. According to her I'm an insensitive, sexist pig who's juvenile and obnoxious.' he argued with the annoying voice inside his head. But just for the heck of it, he imagined himself married to Kate. She would be Mrs. Dinozzo. Kate Dinozzo. And they would have kids and live in a nice house with a pool and a dog... Tony smiled to himself as he let his imagination run wild with thoughts of him and Kate and their future together. He was so lost in thought he didn't notice Gibbs enter the room. **Smack!** "Get in the car Dinozzo!" Rubbing the back of his head, he gathered his stuff and followed Gibbs outside, "Thank you Boss! On your six!" He went to put the equipment back in the truck and he heard Kate's laughter. Poking his head around the door of the van he spied Kate and McGee having an animated conversation. Jealousy bubbled up in Tony's chest. 'What the hell...? Why is McGee making her laugh? I should be the one making her laugh like that. Not him. What does he have that I don't have? Why does she like him better... he's just a Probie...' Tony thought bitterly as he slammed the doors shut and climbed into the car. 'Kate's mine.' he thought to himself. 'Not Probie's and not anyone else's!'

When the got back to the Navy Yard, they got to work trying to identify their victim and catch the killer. After a while, Tony decided to pay a visit to his favorite forensic scientist. As he entered Abby's lab, with a Caf-Pow in his hand he spotted her swinging her pig tails waiting for her computers to "speak to her." "Hi Tony! OK, I know I'm good but not that good! You have to be patient while I wait for my babies to warm up. Oohhh! A bribe!" she said as she spied the Caf-Pow. "Unfortunately Caf-Pow will not make Bertha work faster." "Bertha?" Tony asked. "My maspectrometer. That's her name." "Ahh... gotcha." Tony said with a grin. "Actually, I'm not here for results. I wanted to talk to you about something." he said hesitantly. "OK, shoot." Abby replied as she sat down and slurped on her Caf-Pow.

"It's about Kate. Today I got really... jealous when I saw her talking and laughing with McGee. And she's dating someone and I don't know why but it really bothers me!" Tony said with a frown. "Tony, who Kate dates is really none of your business... I know that sounds harsh but Kate's a grown woman and it's her choice who she dates." Abby said. "I know, but I want to...I want to date her. I want to be the one that makes her laugh, not McGee. I want to be the one she turns to when she needs a hug and the one to take her to fancy restaurants." Tony said softly. "I want to be the one to hold her when she's sad and the one to make her smile. But she doesn't even like me. She thinks I'm annoying and obnoxious and stupid." Abby sat in shocked silence at what she was hearing. Tony Dinozzo, THE Tony Dinozzo, has fallen head over heels in love with Kate Todd. 'I have to help him' she decided quickly.

"Tony, have you ever thought that the fact that Kate doesn't really take you seriously is because she only sees you at work and at work you act like an immature, Frat boy. You are constantly teasing her and annoying her." "But I like teasing her..." Tony said sadly. "You mean I have to stop?" "Not altogether. A little teasing is OK but there's a time and a place for it. The type of men Kate is interested in are mature, smart, and respectful. Tony, no offense but you're not very respectful to her or many women..." Tony looked down in shame and said softly, "I can be all those things. I can be respectful and mature and smart." "I know you can, but you have to prove it to her. And the best way to prove it to her is to show her. Stop teasing her so much and be more polite and respectful." "How?" Tony asked. "It's the little things, Tony, that women notice. Like opening the door for her or sometimes just a hand on the shoulder when she's sad to let her know she's not alone. Buying her coffee in the mornings without expecting something in return just to let her know you're thinking of her. Showing interest in her and what she does in her spare time and finding things you have in common. Those are just some ideas to get you started but you have to think of your own ideas too. This has to come from you and your heart not mine." "But Abs, what if I do all this and she still doesn't like me and doesn't want to go out on a date with me?" "Then that's her choice. And you have to respect her choice, Tony." Abby said softly. "If you truly love her, then you will understand that sometimes when you love someone you have to let them go." Tony sat there in silence for a moment before saying quietly, "That might be the hardest thing to do..." Abby nodded and smiled, "But if you truly love her, then you'll do the right thing." Standing up, Tony gave her a hug and said, Thanks Abs, you're the best." "No problem Tony. But one thing you should understand. If you hurt Kate I can and will boil you from the inside out and leave no forensic evidence. Kate's my best friend. And Gibbs will most likely murder you." "Don't worry, Abby. Kate's not like any girl I've dated. If I make this work between us, I'm in it for the whole thing." Tony smiled and turned to walk out. "Oh Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony!" Abby called after him. "Good luck!"


	2. Chapter 2

The next day Tony arrived to work earlier than usual. While parking his car, he spotted Kate pulling up. He grabbed his bag and walked over to her. "Good morning!" he said cheerfully. Kate stared at him suspiciously and said, "Why are you so cheerful? What did you do? Actually don't tell me. I don't want to know." she said as she walked up to the Navy Yard. Tony looked after her, his heart sinking. 'This might be harder than I thought.' He rushed after her and opened the door for her. Kate paused and looked at the door and then looked up at Tony. "Thank you..." she said slowly. Tony smiled and motioned her in. 'What's going on?' Kate thought to herself. As the two waited for the elevator, Kate glanced at Tony. He looked incredibly good-looking. His black button up shirt was nicely pressed without any wrinkles and his blue jeans hung nicely on his hips. 'Very nicely.' Kate thought as she glanced at his ass. A slight blush tinted her cheeks. 'Ugh! Since when have I found Dinozzo attractive?' The little evil voice in the back of her head responded, 'Um... let's see. Since you first saw him on Air Force One.' It was a good thing his back was turned to her, or she would never hear the end of it. But Tony was too immature and obnoxious for Kate to even think of starting a relationship with him. Maybe... just maybe if Tony was more respectful and not so annoying, Kate could see herself with a man like Tony. He was brave, smart, funny and not to mention kinda hot... "Hey! Kate! You coming?" Kate jumped slightly and shook her head, noticing the elevator had arrived and Tony was holding the door for her, waiting patiently. Kate rushed in, "Sorry... lost in thought for a moment." she squeezed in next to Tony. The elevator was full of other people most of them women, Kate noticed. She glanced up at Tony to see him looking down at her with a gentle smile. "You tired?" Kate smiled back "Yeah, I didn't get much sleep last night." Kate was surprised to notice that Tony hadn't even glanced at any of the other women in the elevator despite the fact that many of them were eying him like a piece of meat. Instead she had his undivided attention and it was... oddly pleasing. But weird... Kate was definitely not used to Tony being... a gentleman. They reached their floor and Tony held the door open so Kate can exit and Tony followed her.

When Kate arrived at her desk there sitting right in the middle was beautiful bouquet of flowers. Kate gasped and slowly went over to look at them. They were a mixture of different flowers of all different colors. Abby skipped over to Kate. "It's about time you get here! Hurry hurry! Read the card! I'm so excited! I want to know who're they're from!" Even though she had an inkling she knew exactly who they were from. She glanced at Tony who had become very interested in his paperwork all of a sudden. Kate slowly walked around her flowers, in awe at the beauty of them. McGee walked up to them. "Wow Kate! Those are really pretty. Who are they from?" "I don't know. There's a card here though." She replied as she picked up the pink envelope on her desk. In beautiful cursive writing it said: To my beautiful Caitlin Todd. Kate opened the envelope and pulled out a handmade card. "Wow Kate. Whoever it was, obviously really likes you. Look he even handmade the card." Abby said. The card was made on ivory card stock with a pink ribbon tied in a bow glued to the top. In gold cursive writing it read:

"My sweet Caitlin, these flowers remind me of you. Each one is beautiful and delicate, but when put together they are strong and gorgeous. I picked each individual flower for you and each is special in it's own way just like you. You are wonderfully unique and have so many gifts and talents to offer this world. I hope the flowers brighten your day! Love..."

Kate broke off there staring at the card, her heart beating wildly. "It doesn't say who it's from?" McGee asked. "No... it doesn't..." Kate said sadly. "I wish it did though. That was so sweet. I wish I knew who it was from..." Abby smiled, "That was so cute!" She glanced over at Tony who was carefully studying Kate's face trying to see if her reaction was positive or negative. Seeing that it was positive sent his heart over the moon. She liked the flowers! His heart began beating wildly. Maybe, just maybe there was a chance for him to win Kate's heart. "What are you guys all standing around for?" Gibbs asked as he entered the bullpen followed by Ducky. "Kate has a secret admirer." Abby said immediately. Kate blushed and carefully set the card down next to the flowers. "Someone sent me flowers." she said with a big smile. Tony grinned as he watched her face light up. He thought for sure his heart was going to burst with happiness. "Oh Caitlin, I am so happy for you." Ducky exclaimed. "Yes, this reminds me of when I was in medical school and I had the hugest crush on Helen -"

"OK Duck we don't have time for a story. We have to meet up with the petty officer's wife." Gibbs interrupted. "Come on guys." Kate took one last smell of her flowers and moved them to a safer spot as she rushed after Tony, McGee, and Gibbs. After McGee and Gibbs entered the elevator Tony moved to the side and held the door open to let Kate enter before him. Kate smiled and said, "Thank you, Tony." "You're welcome." he replied kindly. 'Wow' Kate thought to herself. 'What's going on with Tony?'


	3. Chapter 3

When they arrived back at the Navy Yard, they were surprised to see Agent Fornell waiting for them with another Agent at his side. "What do you want Fornell?" Gibbs asked as he sat down. Kate, Tony, and McGee all sat down at their desks but kept a suspicious eye on their guests. "This is Agent Anderson. We're here to offer our help. We have some information that involves your case, but first I need to speak with you privately in our usual conference room." Fornell replied. "Come on" Gibbs said as he led Fornell towards the elevators. Agent Anderson leaned against Gibbs' desk and looked around. His eyes fell on Kate who was busy typing away at her computer. His lips curved up in a half smile and he licked his lips as he unashamedly stared at her breasts. Tony noticed this and immediately saw red. He cleared his throat loudly and said, "When you're done checking out my partner, you can have a seat over there." pointing to the chair behind the little wall behind McGee's desk. McGee also noticed Agent Anderson's wandering eyes and gave him a cold glare. Kate looked up confused. She saw Tony and McGee standing up glaring at Agent Anderson. Tony's hands were clenched in fists by his side and his eyes were unrecognizable. The usual gentle green eyes were hardened with hate as he glared at Agent Anderson. McGee was also glaring at him which confused Kate even more. McGee was always so calm and sweet, it was weird to see him angry. She glanced at Agent Anderson who was looking back and forth from Tony to McGee. "What's going on?" Kate asked. "Nothing!" Agent Anderson scoffed as he grinned, trying to relax the tension. "It wasn't 'nothing'" Tony spat as he grabbed Anderson by the front of his shirt and slammed him on his back on Gibbs' desk. "Tony! Stop!" Kate yelled as she jumped up. "If I ever catch you looking at Agent Todd like that again I swear to God I will -"

"DINOZZO!" Gibbs' voice boomed behind him. The whole bullpen went silent as Tony, still breathing hard and glaring at Agent Anderson, let go of him and turned to meet Gibbs and Fornell's angry eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Anderson spat as he readjusted his clothes and moved away from Tony. As he passed McGee, he glanced at his face to see McGee still glaring hard at him. McGee moved to stand next to Tony. "You OK?" he asked. "I'm alright." Tony said softly. "What the hell is going on out here?" Gibbs demanded as he looked at him team in disgust. "Speak!" he yelled. "Agent Anderson was checking out Kate and looking at her like she was a piece of meat and it made me mad so I slammed him onto your desk and almost threatened to rip his eyes out of his pretty little head." Tony said as he continued to glare at Anderson. McGee nodded and stood next to Tony, backing him up. Gibbs looked at them and his eyes softened. He didn't know Anderson was checking out Kate and was proud of Tony for defending Kate's honor. Kate looked at Tony in awe. This was Tony Dinozzo, the man who had a new girlfriend every two weeks and checked out every female that crossed his path. And he was defending her honor... Why...?

Fornell turned to Anderson and smacked the back of his head. "What the hell is your problem? Apologize to Agent Todd." Anderson looked at Kate and said very insincerely, "Sorry." Kate shrugged and said, "I didn't even notice." Fornell glared at Anderson and turned to Gibbs "I'll be in touch later regarding what we discussed. We should go before Dinozzo and McGee put a bullet through my Agent's head." "I wouldn't blame them." Gibbs said with a smile. Fornell and Anderson headed towards the elevator. Kate turned to Tony and gazed up into his eyes trying to read his thoughts. She was very confused. His recent gentlemanly behavior confused her and Kate Todd did not like being confused. "Thank you Tony." she said softly. Tony looked down at Kate and smiled gently. "Your welcome." They stood there gazing into each other's eyes trying to read each other's thoughts. McGee looked at them with a small smile playing on his lips as he looked over at Gibbs. Gibbs was studying his two agents closely trying to decide if he should remind them of Rule #12: Never have a relationship with a co-worker. Before he could make up his mind, Tony cleared his throat and moved to grab his coat. "I'm gonna get some coffee. I need some air." he said as half walked half ran to the elevator. Kate silently watched Tony leave. Emotions that she worked so hard not to feel at work while on the job bubbled up in her chest. She couldn't put her finger on what she was feeling exactly and that frustrated her. Kate was used to being in control of her feelings and the fact that she couldn't and the reason was because of Tony Dinozzo made her even more upset. She wanted answers and she wanted them now! Gibbs' voice broke through her thoughts, "Are you going to go after him?" Kate looked at Gibbs and then McGee who smiled at her encouragingly. Without a word, she grabbed her purse and ran to the elevator. She knew the coffee shop Tony goes to. As she made her way down the street to the coffee shop she shivered and wished she had brought her jacket. Kate spotted Tony several yards away, sitting on a bench with a cup of coffee in his hands. She took a deep breath and approached him. Tony looked up and smiled. "I had a feeling you'd follow me." He moved over so she could sit next to him. "You cold?" he asked as he observed her shiver slightly. "A little, yeah. I forgot my jacket." Tony took his off and put it around her shoulders. "Here you go." "Oh, Tony. No, you're going to get cold." "No I'm not. Don't worry." he smiled. They sat there silent for a moment before Kate spoke. "What's going on Tony? All of a sudden you're kind and sweet and opening the door for me. And you don't tease me anymore." she said as she studied his face trying to read his reactions. "And when you got mad at Agent Anderson for checking me out... Tony, no offense but you're the last person I'd expect that from. You check out women all the time." Tony was silent as he listened to Kate. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her he was in love with her right now but how else was he going to explain his actions? How else was he going to explain that the sight of Anderson checking her out when she was his and only his made so mad he wanted to shoot the man?Taking a deep breath, he looked over at Kate who was patiently waiting for his answer. He looked into her big hazel eyes and decided if he really wanted to make this work, he had to be honest with her. "I'm in love with you, Kate. The other day when you were telling me that it was none of my business who you were dating, I realized you were right and the fact that you were dating someone that wasn't me made me really upset. And then I saw you and McGee talking and laughing and I was... jealous. I wanted to be the one to make you laugh and the one you turn to when you need a hug and the one who gets to wake up next to you for the rest of our lives. I want to be the one you tell your secrets to and I want to be able to hold you when you're sad and celebrate with you when you're happy. I know I'm not good at long term relationships. I've never done it before. But I know that's what you want and I want to try. If you want to..." he said as he searched her eyes. Kate sat there in silence trying to process all that she heard. After a minute she said, "Tony... I can't. I'm dating someone else. His name's Steve Adler and I'm really happy with him. He might be everything I'm looking for. He's respectful, caring, responsible, smart, makes promises that he keeps and he makes me happy." "I can do that too. I can be that man. I can be all those things and make you happy..." Tony said desperately as he took Kate's hands in his. "Please..." Kate looked into his eyes and saw his desperation and pain. 'He really wants this, but I can't... I just can't...' Taking a deep breath, she said, "I'm sorry Tony, but I can't. I can't just leave Steve because you decided you want to fall in love with me. If my heart breaks again, I need someone to still love me and support me and be there for me. I can't trust you with my heart... I just can't..." She slipped her hand out of his and wiped her tears away. Tony felt like his heart was being broken into a million pieces. This was the reason he never let his heart get involved in his relationships with women. He gathered his courage and remembered what Abby had told him: "If you truly love her, then you will understand that sometimes when you love someone you have to let them go." Knowing he loved her with everything he had, he did the very thing that broke his heart. "I understand Kate. I understand that and I wish you every happiness with whoever you're with." He whispered softly as he leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. They stood up and Kate pulled Tony into a hug. "Thank you Tony." "You're welcome but can I ask you something?" Kate looked up at him and said, "Of course" "Can we still be friends?" Kate smiled and said, "Yes, I would like that very much."

To be continued...

Don't worry, this isn't the end!


	4. Chapter 4

"That's it!" Abby asked astounded. "You're just going to let her go? Just like that?" Abby was shocked after she heard Tony tell her what happened that morning. "Abby, I did exactly what you said. I let her go. I love her and all I want is for her to be happy. And if she's happy with Steve then... OK." Tony said defeated as he sat down on the floor with his head in his hands. Abby looked down at the broken man before her and felt her heart break. "Tony, I know that's what I said, but I've been watching you and her and you guys are completely perfect for each other! And she's noticing your behavior and how gentlemanly you've been." "What are you saying Abby?" Tony asked. "I'm saying that to need to continue with what you're doing. You need to do more than just get her flowers. Take her out and don't call it a date. Like take her to get drinks or dinner after work especially if you guys just had a bad case, she'll be more sympathetic and agree to go with you. And then when you guys are out, prove to her that you're completely different than an immature Frat boy. Listen to what she has to say and make her laugh and smile and, dammit Tony! Make her fall in love with you!" Abby exclaimed. Tony stared at Abby. "She wants to be friends, so be her friend Tony. Show her that you'll be there for her through the good and the bad times. And then slowly show her that you want more. Let her know that you can keep your promises and be respectful and funny and smart. Let her know that she's the most important woman in your life. And maybe, just maybe she'll start thinking about you as more than just a friend. Don't be afraid to commit. I know that's something you're scared of but if you love Kate you have to commit to her and only her. Unconditionally and completely."

The next few days they were busy trying to solve their case. And it was a hard one. But in the end they got him. Just like always. It was late evening when Gibbs looked up from his computer to see his team still sitting at their desks finishing up reports and paperwork. "Go home." He said simply as he stood up and stretched. Kate, Tony, and McGee looked up and quietly thanked Gibbs. They all grabbed their stuff and headed to the elevators. Tony and Kate made it to the first one. Kate glanced at Tony as they rode in silence. After a minute he turned to look at her. "Listen I was wondering if maybe you wanted to grab a late bite to eat. There's this little Italian place that opened up down the street and they stay open pretty late. I don't know about you but I'm starving and, I don't know... I could use some fun and relaxing company after this case..." Kate smiled and agreed, "Sure! It'll be a nice break from murderers and serial killers." Tony laughed and held the elevator door open for Kate. "Um... let me just put my stuff in my car. We're walking right?" Kate asked. "Yeah, it's close by. Let me put my bag in my car too." They both walked over to their cars'. Kate quickly checked her reflection in her rear view mirror and reapplied fresh lipstick. Tony checked his reflection in his rear view mirror and nervously flattened his hair. He stood up and turned to see Kate applying her lipstick. Tony smiled to himself and locked up his car. When Kate was ready, he held out his arm and the two of them walked to the restaurant. Tony opened the door and followed Kate inside. "Table for two," he said to the waiter. "It'll be just a minute." Kate and Tony waited patiently for a table to open. Tony spotted the waiter and said to Kate. "Hold on just a minute." He went over to the waiter and pulled out a 50 dollar bill. "Hey, my man! Can you please do me a favor?" He slipped the money into the waiter's jacket pocket and said, "Do you maybe have a couple candles and maybe some flowers in a vase that you can set up on our table...?" he had his back to Kate so she couldn't see what he was saying or doing. The waiter looked at Tony and looked at Kate and smiled. "No worries, sir. I will make it perfect." "Thanks." He walked back to Kate who was looking at him curiously. "What's up?" "Oh, it's nothing. I was just asking him when our table is going to be ready. He said in a couple minutes." "Sir, Ma'am?" the waiter motioned to them. "Your table for two is ready. Please follow me." Tony smiled gently at Kate who smiled back. The waiter led them past all the tables to the patio. There sitting out by a roaring patio fire was a table just for the two of them with two candles and a single rose. Kate gasped silently and Tony smiled at her reaction. He winked discreetly at the waiter and mouthed, "thank you." The waiter smiled and moved aside so Tony could pull out Kate's chair. After helping her sit down and taking his seat, the waiter handed them the menus and promised to be back to take their orders. Kate looked over at Tony who was looking over the menu with a little smile playing on his lips. "Tony" Kate began "you do realize this is not a date right?" Tony looked up in mock surprise and said "Of course! We're just friends and coworkers just sharing a dinner after a hard case to relax." Kate laughed and said "Exactly!" Tony loved it when Kate laughed. She was so beautiful and the way her eyes lit up made his heart beat rapidly. Studying her face as she looked over the menu, he noted the way her skin glowed in the candle light. Her dark hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders. 'Wow...' he thought to himself. "What are you going to get?" Kate asked as she looked up. Tony shook his head to get rid of the thoughts that were distracting him and looked down at the menu. "Oh I was thinking about getting this gnocchi bowl." he said as he picked the first thing he saw. "What about you?" "I was thinking about this cheese fettuccine. It sounds good." "Oh it is! Any kind of fettuccine is good." Tony said. "I thought you had never been here before?" Tony grinned and said "Well I am an expert on all things Italian." he said with a sparkle in his eye. Kate laughed out loud. "Okay..." They spent the rest of the evening laughing and joking with each other, trying to forget about their jobs and obligations. Kate was very pleasantly surprised to learn things about Tony that she had never known before. And things they had in common: they both wanted to visit Italy someday, they both loved to cook, both loved being outdoors, and both watched way too much TV as well as so many other things. Tony was in heaven. Here he was with Kate, the woman of his dreams and the two of them were enjoying a candlelit dinner and each other's company. And the best part wasn't at all awkward. They were just two normal friends enjoying each other's company. At least that's what it looked like from anyone else's point of view. Inside Kate head, a million emotions and thoughts were buzzing around. She was dating Steve but here she was with Tony Dinozzo eating dinner at a nice restaurant with candles and a rose... and Kate was guiltily thinking about what it would be like to be in a relationship with Tony. 'I shouldn't be thinking this! I'm dating Steve! …... but Tony is so wonderful and sweet and kind and funny... he makes me happy...' Tony was over the moon that finally he had Kate Todd all to himself and he could lavish her with his undivided attention. He took Abby's advice to heart and paid close attention to everything she said, every move she made, every facial expression and reactions. He wanted so badly to reach over and take her delicate hands in his but he restrained himself by reminding himself that she was dating Steve. She wasn't his... yet. Their waiter approached them and asked if they wanted more refills and Kate looked down at her watch. "Oh wow! I have to get going. I didn't realize it was so late." Tony reached into his wallet and pulled out his debit card. "Oh no Tony! Let me pay for my dinner at least." Tony shook his head, "Nope, my treat. I won't let you pay." he smiled gently at her. Kate opened her mouth to protest when Tony quickly gave his card to the waiter. Shaking her head, Kate smiled back at Tony and said, "Thank you. But I'm paying next time!" Tony's heart jumped as the thought of a "next time" but he masked his happiness with a simple, "We'll see" and his charming grin which left Kate breathless. As the waiter returned with the receipt, Tony thanked him and stood to help Kate out of her chair. He held her jacket open and wrapped it around her. As Kate turned she found herself with her mouth inches from Tony's and his strong arms wrapped tightly around her. She looked up and found him gazing adoringly at her. She could smell his masculine cologne and the strong, steady beat of his heart pressed against her chest. Tony could smell Kate's sweet shampoo as he held her close to his heart. He could feel her heart beating wildly as she was pressed into his chest. She fit perfectly in his arms, her curves molding to perfection against his body. They stood there for a few minutes in silent awe of each other, not really sure if they should move apart, not really sure if they even wanted to move apart. Their moment was interrupted when Kate's phone went off. They both jumped out of their stupor. Kate was a little disoriented for a moment but finally moved to grabbed her phone. It was a text from Steve wondering when she was coming home and if she wanted dinner ready. Kate quickly replied that she was on her way home and not to worry about dinner. Looking up she saw Tony standing a couple feet away looking up at the night sky. She moved over to him and stood next to him. "That was Steve just wondering if I was on my way home." she answered Tony's unspoken question. Tony looked down at her and Kate was saddened by the hurt and pain in his eyes. "Of course!" he said quickly as he shook his head getting rid of his jealousy. "I should have realized. I'm so sorry. I'll walk you back to your car." he rushed trying to disguise the disappointment in his voice. But the profiler in Kate saw it immediately and her heart broke. She knew Tony was putting effort into making her realize he was the man for her, but she wasn't ready to hand her heart over to him just yet. Not yet. Tony ushered her out of the restaurant and held his arm out to her. She smiled and took his arm as the two made their way back to the Navy Yard. They were silent just enjoying the last few minutes of their time together outside of the office. Kate was mulling over the evening and trying to make sense of her emotions and new thoughts of Tony. There was more to him than meets the eye and part of Kate wanted so badly to know him inside and out. She wanted to know everything about this man who she has known for years, but just began to really get to know. The other part of her chastised herself for having these thoughts about Tony when she was dating Steve. Tony was cursing Steve in his mind and wishing that Kate was his girlfriend so this night didn't have to end. He wanted to know everything about Caitlin Todd. She was a beautiful mystery and Tony loved mysteries. Tony walked her to her car and Kate turned to him. "Thank you so much Tony for dinner and everything. It was really good to relax and forget all about work and everything else." Tony smiled gently and leaned over to give her a hug. "No thank you." he whispered softly inhaling her sweet scent and imprinting it to memory. Kate leaned into his muscular chest and softly nuzzled his neck. "I have to go..." she whispered. "Yeah... Umm... I'll see you on Monday." Tony said as he let her go. "Good night Tony" Kate said. Getting into her car, she pulled out and waved bye to Tony who stood there smiling and waving back at her, his heart overjoyed at the fact that he just had his first unofficial date with Kate Todd.


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning this chapter is sad and I do apologize. The main point of this chapter was basically for there to be a big life-changing moment for Tony where he has to decide how deep his love for Kate really is and his big moment to decide if he wants to live the life of a Frat boy bachelor or choose something different. But I do promise there will be tons of fluff later on! **

The next few days were, the team was busy with paperwork and reports as they waited for a new case to come up. They were beginning to get a little stir crazy. Tony had left 20 minutes ago for a lunch break. When he returned he had with him two large hot chocolate's with whipped cream and chocolate syrup drizzled on top. He stopped by Kate and saw her sleeping with her head on her desk. Tony gently smoothed her soft hair away from her face and set one of the hot chocolate's down next to her head and went to sit down. Kate stirred as she subconsciously smelt the beverage. She opened her eyes and saw a large drink topped with whipped cream. Looking around, she saw Tony smiling as he said, "Rise and shine Sleeping Beauty." Kate grinned and took a sip of the hot chocolate. "Mmmm... Tony it's just what I need. Thank you so much." "No problem." Kate and Tony silently got back to work sipping their hot chocolate. Tony pulled out his drawer looking for extra staples and spied his little book of numbers of women he dated or slept with. He pulled it out and flipped through it before looking up at Kate. She was sitting at her desk, sipping her hot chocolate and reading her emails. She was obviously reading something amusing because a small smile spread on her beautiful face and her big hazel eyes lit up. Smiling, Tony threw the little book in the trash can and went back to work.

Lately Kate had noticed a huge change in Tony's behavior and she was starting to see him as more than just her coworker. He was beginning to be her best friend and confidant. The other day when she was upset, Tony had comforted her and held her tightly as she cried on his shoulder. He had gently wiped her tears away and whispered encouraging words to her. But as Kate clung to Tony, she started feeling an overwhelming love for him which worried her. She was still with Steve Adler and felt guilty that she was having these feelings for Tony. Kate was beginning to fall in love with Tony.

Tony was crazy in love with Kate. She was everything he thought about, everything he wanted, everything he needed. And every time she smiled at him or laughed at his jokes encouraged him even more to win her heart. He knew there were moments when she felt something too. He could see it in her face or by her body language. Gibbs also noticed a difference in his team members. Kate was happier and was getting along better with Tony. And as far as Gibbs was concerned, Tony was completely different. He didn't joke around as much and he used to and he didn't tease Kate nearly as much as he used to. Of course, they bickered and argued until Gibbs wanted to slam their heads together but it was different. Tony was very gentlemanly towards Kate which surprised Gibbs. He watched as Tony opened doors for her, allowed her to enter or exit the elevator before him and helped her with anything she needed. Anything she asked, Tony would do it for her or help her with it. Kate had Tony completely wrapped around her little finger without even knowing it and Tony loved it.

McGee also noticed huge behavior changes. Tony was incredibly respectful to Kate and no longer checked out every woman that passed by him. As far as McGee could see, Kate was the only woman he had eyes for. He would sometimes look up to see Tony quietly studying Kate as she worked. And sometimes, Kate would be watching Tony as if to memorize his every move and facial expressions. Abby was over the moon excited that her "big brother" was finally learning how to treat a woman right. And she was especially excited that that woman was her best friend.

Tony was finally growing up.

One morning, Kate walked into the bullpen wearing sunglasses and long sleeves and pants. "Wow, Kate. It's like a million degrees in here. Are you OK?" McGee asked Kate with a laugh. Kate didn't answer and instead nodded her head and sat down to get to work. Thinking Kate was just hungover, McGee shrugged and got to work. Tony strolled in and set a big cup of steaming coffee on Kate's desk with his usual cheerful, "Good morning!" Not getting a response from her he took in her strange attire and glanced over at McGee confused. McGee shrugged. Kneeling down, he softly rubbed circles on her back, "Are you alright?" Kate opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Instead she took one whiff of the coffee and paled. She pushed past Tony as she held her stomach and mouth and rushed to the bathroom. Tony stared after her not sure if he should follow or not. McGee jumped up, "What happened? Is she OK?" "I don't know, that was weird." Tony said as he stood up staring at Kate as she rushed into the women's restroom. Deciding to take the risk, he followed her. He slowly pushed the door open to hear Kate vomiting in one of the stalls. Tony rushed in and looked in the first stall to see her bent over the toilet. "Kate, here." he said as he reached out to gather all her hair out of her face. He rubbed her back comforting as he watched concerned while Kate threw up. When Kate was finished he led her over to the sink where he wet a paper towel and began wiping around her mouth. Kate stood still as Tony took care of her. Usually she would be opposed to someone especially a man taking care of her like this, but Tony was so gentle and sweet that she wanted to simply be held and let him take care of her. She stepped into his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. Tony wrapped her up in his arms and held her tightly as she sobbed into his shirt. After a moment, she stepped away and looked at Tony with tears in her eyes "I'm so sorry Tony." "For what? You didn't do anything wrong." Tony said as he wiped her tears away. "I got your suit all wet. I didn't mean to." she said as she took a dry paper towel and dabbed at his chest where she cried. Tony took her hands in his and said, "Don't worry about it. I don't care about my suit. It's fine. But can I ask you something. Why are you wearing sunglasses and long sleeves and pants. It's spring..." he asked. Kate took a deep breath turned to lock the bathroom door. She took her sunglasses off and Tony sucked in a breath as he saw her black eye. He reached out and gently brought her closer to him. He held her face like a fragile flower ready to whither away as he carefully studied her bruise. Anger and rage began to bubble inside him, but he controlled it as he looked at the pain in Kate's eyes. Some son of a bitch had dared to lay a hand on his beautiful Katie and Tony wasn't going to rest til he knew who it was and that person paid for what he did. He looked down at her long sleeves and gently took her hands in his. He ever so gently pulled the sleeves up to reveal more bruises. Purple and brown covered Kate's arms. He looked at her arms and face and angry tears filled his eyes. "Who did this to you...?" he asked silently. Kate noticed his rage and gently reached up to stoke his face in reassurance. "It's OK, Tony. I'm fine." Tony shook his head as he looked down at Kate. "No, Kate you're not Ok. This is not OK! Who did this to you?" Kate looked at Tony and saw something she wasn't expecting. He was crying. Tears of anger, rage, frustration and sadness silently fell as he clenched his fists to stop him from hitting a wall. Kate's heart broke for Tony and she knew she had to honest with him. She took his face in her hands and wiped his tears away. "I'm pregnant, Tony. With Steve's baby and he... well, he didn't want me to keep the baby but I am going to keep the baby and he got mad and... he did this." she said as she motioned to her body. Tony stood there in shock at what he heard. That asshole got his Kate pregnant and then beat her up because he didn't want the baby. 'What kind of man was he...?' he thought. 'That's just it; he's not a man.' Tony shook his head. "You're pregnant..." he said to Kate. Kate smiled slightly and said, "Yes. This wasn't really the way I imagined the first time getting pregnant, but oh well..." she joked. Tony looked down at her stomach and a sickening thought came to him. He had to find out... he dropped to his knees and softly lifted her shirt a little to see if the bastard hit her in the stomach. "Don't worry, I didn't let him hit me there..." Kate said as she read his thoughts. "The baby's safe." "Kate, you should still go to the hospital just in case." "I was going to see Ducky and have him look at me and if the baby's in danger or something I was going to go in." Tony wrapped Kate up in his arms and softly stroked her back and kissed the top of her head. There, in the women's restroom while he held his beautiful Kate and her unborn baby close to his heart, he vowed that he would never leave them. He whispered softly in her ear, "I love you Kate. And I promise, you're not alone in this." Kate tilted her head up to look at Tony as saw him gazing down at her with so much love and tenderness. She nuzzled her face into him and kissed the base of his neck. "Thank you." She whispered softly. As Tony, held her he began to realize that this might be what he wanted. He loved Kate and he would do anything for her. He reached down and slowly rubbed little circles over her stomach. There was a baby in there. A little innocent baby who didn't have a father. Tony had never considered becoming a father. He had always imagined his life partying on Friday nights waking up Saturday morning with a hangover and usually a girl who he didn't even know. But a father can't do those things. A father has responsibilities and obligations. 'Is that what I want?' Tony thought to himself. 'To give up my party life with no commitments or obligations to live with the woman of my dreams and her baby? Is that how I want my future? Can I raise the child of a man I hate?' Tony looked down at Kate who was silently just holding onto him with her face buried in his chest. He thought of the movie The Mask of Zorro and how Don Rafael Montero had raised Zorro's daughter, Elena as his own. Granted that was a completely different situation... but it can be done... right? He could feel Kate's heart beating against him and he kissed her head again. She looked up at him and smiled. Tony immediately saw the love and tenderness in her eyes and knew right then and there that Caitlin Todd and her precious baby were his future. They were everything to him and he would give them everything he had.

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

A week later, Tony sat at his desk thinking about where his life was going. Kate was down with Ducky so he had a some time to put his thoughts in order and start planning on how he was going to prove to Kate that he can be a good father to her child and a good husband to her. He pulled out his wallet and flipped it open to gaze at the picture of Kate he kept secretly hidden. It was one Abby had given him. She and Kate went and got glamour shots taken and Tony thought Kate never looked more beautiful. Her dark hair was blown so it looked like the wind was blowing through it and her big hazel eyes were bright and sparkling as she laughed at the camera. 'She's so beautiful' he thought as he gazed at her photo. She deserved everything. Tony wanted to so badly to make her happy. No, he needed to be the one to make her happy. Over the past couple months, he had learned a lot about Kate and how to treat her right. He made a conscious effort to be polite and respectful and gentlemanly until it became second nature to him and he didn't even have to think about it. Now all he had to do was prove he can handle a serious relationship. He wanted to be the man, the only man in her life. He wanted to be the father of her baby and her friend, lover, and husband for the rest of their lives.

He smiled as he put his wallet away. A year ago, if someone had told him that he was going to fall head over heels in love with Kate and want to get married and be a father, he would have laughed out loud at them. Now, it was all he could think about. But he needed to make sure it's what she wanted. Kate rounded the corner and grinned at Tony. He smiled back and stood up. "Come on, let's go get coffee." Kate said excitedly. Tony grabbed her hand and the two half walked half ran to the elevator. Gibbs rolled his eyes but smiled to himself. He remembered what it was like to be in love. When they got inside, Kate threw her arms around Tony's neck. "The baby's just fine and I'm going to be OK. The ointment Ducky gave me for my bruises has been working. Almost all my bruises are gone." Tony hugged her close to him and rubbed her stomach. "I'm so so so happy." he whispered. As they walked to their usual coffee shop, Tony held Kate's hand in his. Kate moved closer so she could wrap her arm around Tony's waist. Surprised, Tony looked down at her to find her smiling adoringly up at him. He wrapped her tiny body in his and kissed the top of her head. "My Katie..." he whispered. "My Tony..." she whispered back. They got their coffee and they headed to the park across the street from the coffee shop. They held hands as they walked under the cherry blossom trees. Tony spotted a big grassy hill and got an idea. Grinning like a little boy on Christmas, he grabbed Kate around her waist and hoisted her up. Kate squealed and instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. "Tony! What are you doing?" "Come on! I've always wanted to try this." He carried her up the hill and gently laid her down in the soft grass. He laid on top of her and wrapped his strong arms around her body. Kate, catching on to what he was doing, wrapped her arms and legs around Tony and then flipped them. The two of them rolled down the hill laughing like little kids. When they reached the bottom of the hill, Tony landed on his back with Kate laying on top of him. Her body molded perfectly to his. Seeing Kate on top of him, with her dark hair surrounding them blocking out the rest of the world and her lips inches from his, took his breath away. They searched each other's eyes before Tony whispered, "Can I please kiss you...?" Kate giggled and leaned over to press her lips to Tony's. "You never have to ask, Tony." Tony grinned and pulled Kate into a sweet, passionate kiss. They lost themselves in the moment, clinging tightly to each other as their tongues danced and played. Kate ran her hands over Tony's chest and arms, up onto his hair. Tony moaned and ran his hands up and down her back. He slipped his hands up the back of her shirt and his breath hitched as he caressed her soft skin. Kate deepened the kiss and slipped her hands under his shirt to play with the light hair on his chest. She caressed his stomach and ground her hips into his. Tony grabbed her hips to slow her down. "Katie... sweetheart... not here..." he panted. He rolled them over and propped himself up on his elbows so he wasn't laying on the baby. He nuzzled her neck and nipped lightly at her lower lip. Kate giggled and ran her fingers through his hair. "You're right. The last thing we need is to be put in jail for public indecency." Tony laughed and rolled over and pulled Kate into his chest. She rested her head on his chest and the two looked up at the sky. "Look, that cloud looks like a bunny rabbit." Kate said as she pointed to the fluffy cloud. Tony squinted at the cloud. "It does not! I don't see it..." he said. "Yes it does! Look." Kate said as she pulled Tony up and scooted closer so her head was right next to his. "See..." she whispered as she pointed out the shape in the cloud. Tony shook his head. "Nope... I still don't see it..." he said with a mischievous smile. "Maybe it'll help if you sit in my lap so I can see exactly what you're seeing..." he said. Kate laughed and got up to sit in his lap. Tony wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down on his lap. Together the two, laid back down laughing. Kate settled herself back on his chest. Tony smoothed her hair from her face and rubbed his nose against hers. "Kate, I love you. And I understand if you're not ready yet, but I want you to know that I want this. All of this. I want a serious relationship with you and I want to prove that I am the perfect man for you. I want to make you so happy everyday. I'll do anything to win your heart." Kate gazed down at Tony in awe. Tony Dinozzo, the office womanizer, the man who has had so many meaningless relationships, wanted to settle down with her. He was ready for a serious relationship and he chose her. He wanted her. Kate's heart burst with happiness as she kissed him with all her heart and soul. "You've always had my heart, Tony. I was just waiting for you to grow up a little more before I could trust you with it." Tony grinned and rolled to his side so he could look at his beautiful girlfriend. Taking one hand he let it rest on her stomach while the other stroked her hip. "Also, I want this." he said rubbing the soft skin of her belly. "I want this baby. You don't have to do this alone. I want to be there through it all. The doctors appointments, the morning sickness, the birth, the first steps, first day of school, first crush, the day he or she brings home their first report card, their first prom and... just everything! I want to help raise this child. I want to be the father of your baby... I know I'm not great with children but I'll learn. You can teach me! We'll be great parents together..." he broke off noticing the tears in Kate's eyes. Thinking he said too much, he stopped and leaned over to gently kiss away her tears. "I'm sorry, honey. I should have asked first before I said anything about the baby. I sometimes have a bad habit of saying all the wrong things." he looked down ashamed. Kate took his head so he was looking her in the eye. "No, Tony. You just said all the right things! I am so happy. Not sad! I love you too, Tony!" she said through her tears as she hugged Tony close to her. "Yes, I most definitely want you to be the father. And I want a relationship with you too." she said as she closed her eyes, imaging her life with Tony and their baby. Tony was so overjoyed! All his wishes and dreams were coming true right before his eyes. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of Kate's body in his arms. He wrapped his arms around her and their baby protectively. 'Our baby...' Tony thought to himself. He was in a relationship with the beautiful Kate Todd and together the two of them were going to raise this beautiful baby that Tony was already falling helplessly in love with even though the baby wasn't technically his. But he would love and raise him or her as if it were his own. After all, a father is the one who helps make the baby. A dad is the one who raises, loves, protects, and cares for the baby. Tony was going to be a daddy.

After a couple minutes, Kate said softly "What are we going to tell Gibbs?" Tony thought for a moment and said, "Well, I'm pretty sure he already has a slight clue what's going on. We haven't really been that discreet and Gibbs is like Santa Claus. He sees all and knows all..." Kate laughed and said, "You're right! He is, isn't he?" Tony took a deep breath and said, "But if he has a problem with it then I'll switch to a new team. It won't be a big deal." "Tony, no I don't want you switching. You're the Senior Field Agent. I can switch." "Maybe it won't be a big deal and none of us have to switch..." Tony said hopefully. "I wish" Kate sighed. "Do you want to go tell him now and get it over with" she asked softly. "I suppose so." he said as he helped her up. Tony wrapped his arms around Kate's waist and she put her arm around his. They leaned in for another mind blowing kiss before heading back to the Navy Yard. In the elevator, Kate leaned over and wiped the lipstick smudges from Tony's face and neck. Tony pulled her against his chest and smooched her sweet lips in his before the elevator doors opened and Tony exited holding the door open for her and smirking that he was able to leave her breathless and she could do nothing but pretend like nothing happened because the doors were open and they had to be professional. Giving him a saucy glare she walked over to her desk as Tony followed. Gibbs raised his eyes as his two agents returned and he smiled slightly noting the way Kate's cheeks were flushed and Tony had a big goofy grin on his face. He knew exactly what those two were up to and even though he would never admit it to anyone, he was very happy that Tony and Kate were together. 'Took them long enough!' he thought. He was happy that Tony was finally growing up. Tony was like a son to him and he cared about him very much. If Tony found happiness then who was Gibbs to deny him that. Even if it was with another one of his agents. Gibbs also cared very much for Kate. She was like a daughter to him and he was very protective of her. Thinking of his words very carefully before he transformed into his "serious Gibbs" he stood up and motioned for Kate and Tony to follow him. Kate swallowed and caught Tony's eye who smiled encouragingly and the two rushed to follow Gibbs to the elevator, his "conference room." Switching on the emergency switch, he turned to face them. Kate and Tony were standing next to each other looking like two puppies who just got chastised. Gibbs stared at them until Tony began squirming under his harsh glare. Tony knew Gibbs really did care about them under that "stern father" facade he put on so he patiently waited for the lecture that was sure to come. Kate licked her lips nervously and scooted closer to Tony. She knew Gibbs would never hurt them, but he was like a father to her and she never wanted to disappoint him. Gibbs smiled and smacked the back of Tony's head hard twice and said to him, "You break her heart, and you'll be out of here so fast you won't know which head belongs where." Tony was so shocked that he just stood there with a dumb look on his face. He turned to look at Kate who was trying to hold back a laugh. Gibbs turned to Kate who immediately fought to hold a straight face. "I don't want to see any funny business in the office or while we're on the job. You let me know if he hurts you in any way and I'll beat his ass." Gibbs said as he flipped the emergency switch and exited the elevator. Kate and Tony stood there in silent shock until they heard Gibbs yell, "Kate! Dinozzo!" They both jumped and rushed to follow Gibbs back out to the office. As they got back to work, Tony glanced up at Kate to see her typing furiously but with a small smile on her sweet lips. She glanced at Tony who smiled and winked at her. Kate grinned and winked back. Tony was about to say something to her when a pen sailed in the air and hit Tony on the head. "Get to work, Dinozzo!"


	7. Chapter 7

Tony was laying peacefully on Kate's couch wearing a pair of plaid flannel pj bottoms that Kate had bought him while Kate lay asleep on his bare chest. He was slowly running his fingers through her soft hair as the other hand rubbed her stomach. Kate was now seven months pregnant and Tony couldn't stop himself from caressing her tummy every opportunity he got. They had spent the last seven months getting ready for the birth of their baby girl. Tony had eagerly gone with Kate to every one of her doctor's appointments, baby shopping, and he paid for her to take a yoga class specifically for pregnant women which made Kate very happy. When she was cleaning up Tony's living room one afternoon, she came across several books. She smiled and felt her heart burst with happiness as she read the titles: How To Make A Pregnant Woman Happy; Breathe! A Guy's Guide to Pregnancy; and The Expectant Father – Facts, Tips, and Advice For Dads-To-Be. She was incredibly happy with her new life with Tony. He loved her with everything he had and always lavished her with love and attention. Even when Kate was hormonal and cranky, Tony always knew exactly what to do and what she needed. When they went to the doctor's appointments Kate would laugh because he was always so excited to watched their baby on the ultrasound. Tony was in complete awe as they watched their unborn baby move inside Kate's stomach. He had never in his whole life experienced anything quite like it. And the look on Kate's face took his breath away. She was so happy and excited to welcome their baby girl into this world. Kate spent endless hours talking to her telling her all about the people who were eager to meet her. She told her all about Auntie Abby, Uncle McGee, Uncle Palmer, Grandma Jenny, Grandpa Gibbs, and Grandpa Ducky. Kate and Tony decided to move in together before the baby was born so that their complete focus could be on their daughter after she was born. Tony had sold his apartment and had moved a lot of his stuff into storage and the important things into Kate's apartment. They were waiting for Kate's lease to be up and in the meantime they were looking into renting a town home in Alexandria. But until they could move in, Tony and Kate lived happily together in Kate's apartment. They were madly in love and everyone around them could see it.

Tony shifted slightly on the couch and Kate stirred and slowly lifter her head. He kissed her sweetly and Kate moaned in his mouth. "Hey honey." he said as he caressed her back. Kate smiled and lay back in his arms with her head on his chest. She could hear his strong heartbeat as he moved his arm around to entwine his fingers with hers. They laid their hands on Kate's stomach protectively. All of a sudden they felt a tiny bump from her tummy. Tony jumped slightly and Kate's eye's lit up. "She moved..." Tony said in awe. Kate kissed him and brought his hand back to her tummy. They waited patiently for another bump which came. Tony's heart burst with happiness as they felt their baby girl moving around in Kate's tummy. Kate looked up at Tony and kissed him sweetly. Tony wrapped Kate up in his arms even tighter and cuddled her tiny body into his. "I'm so excited for the baby." she whispered. "Have you thought of any names?" she asked. "Mmmm... I've thought of a few. I like the name Autumn." Tony responded. "And she'll be born in the fall." Kate smiled and said gently, "I kinda like the name Sophie." Tony thought for a moment and said softly, "Sophie Autumn Todd... I like it!" Kate sat up and looked at him and placed a hand on his heart. "No, Tony. Sophie Autumn Dinozzo. I want our baby to have her daddy's last name." Tony looked into Kate's big hazel eyes and melted. He ever so gently took her face in his hands kissed her sweet lips. Kate closed her eyes and the two of them melted together as passion and desire overtook them. Tony didn't think it was possible to be this in love with someone. He slid her shirt off and pulled her body against his just to feel her soft skin against his. He looked deep into her eyes and whispered, "Then I want the mother of our baby to have my last name too." Kate stared at him, her heart beating wildly, not sure if she heard him right. He reached over to the drawer in the coffee table and pulled out a velvet black box. "I originally had a whole romantic way planned to ask you, but one thing I've learned about love is not everything happens like it's planned. Kate, you are everything to me. I love you so much and I don't even want to consider my life without you. You are my life, my whole world. You're the only woman I want to spend everyday of the rest of my life with. My sweet Caitlin, will you marry me? Will you be my wife?" he breathed hoping to God that she loved him enough to say yes. Kate had silent but happy tears running down her face. She was speechless as Tony held her hands in his and proposed to her. He leaned over and softly kissed her tears away. Kate flung her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Oh, Tony... yes, I will be your wife." she laughed as Tony pulled her into his lap and kissed her hard. Together the two of them clung to each other feeling their hearts beat in between their bodies. Kate stared in awe as Tony took her hand in his and put a diamond ring on her finger. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. She was engaged! She was getting married to Anthony Dinozzo and they were going to have a baby soon and they were going to rent a townhouse together in Alexandria. It was perfect. Tony nuzzled her neck and said, "I love you." Kate looked up at him and said, "I love you too, Tony." She got a mischievous glint in her eyes and Tony nipped her lower lip. "Uh oh... what are you planning...?" Kate jumped up and pulled Tony up with her. "Let's get married now." Tony was confused. "Now? Like right this very moment? It's 11:30 at night." "Yes, I know! But I don't want to wait." Tony laughed and gathered her in his arms and carried her upstairs. "Come on, we have to put some normal clothes on if we're gonna get married." Kate and Tony hurried to get dressed. "Do we want to call anyone? Is anyone gonna be at our wedding?" Tony asked. Kate tossed him his phone and said, "Oh yeah! Call Gibbs, Jenny and Ducky. I'll call Abby, McGee, and Palmer." Tony cringed at the thought of calling Gibbs and waking him up. "Umm... honey, maybe you should call Gibbs. He won't smack you for waking him up..." Tony said as he instinctively rubbed the back of his head thinking about Gibbs head-slapping him. Kate laughed. "Good point, I'll call Gibbs, Jenny and, and Ducky. You call McGee, Abby, and Palmer. Oh and tell them to meet us at the courthouse by the Navy Yard." Kate called Ducky and Jenny. Neither were asleep and excitedly promised to make it to the courthouse in 20 minutes. When she called Gibbs, she had a special favor to ask him. After waking him up and teasing him because she could tell he fell asleep with his boat again, she delivered the news. Gibbs began changing his clothes into something nicer to wear to the wedding before their conversation had even ended. "Also, Gibbs I wanted to ask you for a favor...?" she asked hesitantly. "Of course, what's up?" "Well, I was wondering, if you'd walk me down the courthouse aisle...? You're more of a father to me than my dad ever was and I really want you to be the one to give me away." Tears gathered in Gibbs' eyes and he brushed them away impatiently as he said, "Of course. I'd be honored, Kate." Kate smiled and thanked him. When she had hung up, she turned to hear Tony talking to McGee. "So, Probie, I was kinda wondering if you'd be my best man...? We're gonna get married at the courthouse by the Navy Yard and I'd really like for you to stand up there with me...? Really? Ok great! Thanks McGee. Yup... see ya in like 20 minutes." Tony turned to see Kate grinning at him "Awww... that's so sweet. He really does look up to you, you know? You're like a big brother to him." Tony smiled and said, "Well, I think I just made my 'little brother' wet himself with excitement." Kate burst out laughing and hugged Tony. "Did you call Abby?" she asked with a sneaky smile playing on her sweet lips. Tony caught her smirk and playfully pinched her hip. "Yes, I did and she all but broke my ear drum with her very high pitched squeal." Kate laughed and winked at him. He had changed in to a pair of nice jeans and a black button down shirt. He had also splashed on some cologne and Kate thought he never looked or smelled so edible. She had changed into a soft pink sundress with white polka-dots. Tony watched as she rummaged in her drawer til she found what she was looking for. A satin pink ribbon which she tied as a head band. Tony had never seen anyone look so sweet and innocent and beautiful all at the same time. After dabbing some perfume and grabbing her purse, she turned to Tony who took her hand and led his beautiful wife-to-be out to the car to get married.


	8. Chapter 8

Kate and Tony were barely able to keep their hands off each other as they drove to the courthouse. As they pulled up, they spotted Jenny and Abby talking excitedly. Abby rushed to Tony and almost knocked him over with a big hug. She whispered in his ear, "I'm sooo proud of you! I knew you could win her heart!" Tony hugged her back and whispered, "Only with your help." The shared a knowing smile and turned to see Jenny handing Kate a bouquet of fresh flowers to carry down the "aisle." Jenny hugged Tony and threatened to end his career if he hurt Kate. Tony laughed and then noticed Jenny's serious face and immediately put on a straight face and said, "Yes, ma'am, of course." Abby and Kate smirked at each other and turned as they heard a car pulling up. Ducky, McGee and Palmer hopped out and rushed over to congratulate the couple. "Oh Anthony, my dear boy. I remember this one time in Scotland when my friend, Edgar and his sweetheart Penelope decided th-" "Ah Duck! Give it a rest. It's their wedding night. Save the stories for the baby." Gibbs interrupted as he stepped up behind them. Gibbs wore a pair of nice black pants and a baby blue button down shirt. Tony hugged Gibbs and said to him, "Thanks for coming, Boss. It means the world to me that you came." he smiled. Gibbs said gruffly, "Of course I came. I wouldn't miss my boy's wedding." Tony's heart swelled with pride at Gibbs' words. Tony had always admired Gibbs. He was his mentor and role model. And to hear Gibbs call him "his boy" made him so happy. "But Kate is like a daughter to me, so if you hurt her I will kick your ass." Gibbs continued with a smirk as he leaned over to kiss Kate's cheek. Tony looked around at their "family" and took a deep breath as he took Kate's hand in his. "Are you ready?" Kate looked around to make sure all of their "family" was there. Seeing everyone smiling encouragingly at her, she replied, "Absolutely!"

Kate and Tony wanted the wedding to be somewhat like a real wedding so the team got to work to set up the room a little like an alter and an aisle for Kate and Gibbs to walk down. Ducky had called his old friend who was a judge to ask him to marry the two. They met him inside and Abby and Jenny rushed around unloading some flowers they had picked up on the way. Tony and McGee went to stand at the front of the room and waited while Kate, Gibbs, Jenny, and Abby went outside the room to prepare Kate as quickly as they could. In the back room, Gibbs took Kate aside. "Kate, you know I'm not one for mushy sentimentality but I wanted to give you something." He pulled out a necklace. It was a simple gold chain and on the chain were two hearts that met in the middle and were joined by a pink diamond. "I was saving this for Kelly, my daughter on her wedding day. And... well, as that's not going to happen... and I think of you as kinda like my daughter, so I wanted to give this to you. There's room on the two hearts for you to engrave your name and Tony's name there..." he said. Kate threw her arms around the older man's neck and kissed him on the cheek. "It's beautiful, Gibbs. Thank you! I love it." Gibbs smiled and motioned for her to turn around. She lifted her hair up and Gibbs gently put the necklace on her. Kate turned around to see Gibbs' eyes watering up. Gruffly he brushed them away before Kate could comment. Kate just smiled and hugged Gibbs. Tony, Ducky, McGee, and Palmer were waiting out in the front room. They were surprised when the door opened and Fornell walked in. "Hey Gibbs told me to meet him here. What's going on?" "Kate and I are getting married! You're welcome to stay." Tony exclaimed. Fornell stared at Tony. "You've got to be kidding me... Seriously? Wow... Umm well, congratulations to the both of you." he said as he shook Tony's hand and sat next to Ducky. "So, why at midnight? Usually weddings are in the morning or during the day with several months of preparations... this was kinda sudden..." Tony laughed and said, "Well, I just proposed tonight and Kate wanted to get married right away, so here we are." Fornell laughed and shook his head, "…..women." Abby rushed out of the back room with a CD player and turned on a CD. McGee placed a hand on Tony's shoulder and said, "You ready for this...?" Tony turned and hugged McGee. "I'm ready. Thanks McGee." McGee smiled and patted his back. Palmer gave Tony a thumbs up and Ducky and Fornell smiled at Tony encouragingly. Tony stood tall and proud as he waited for the doors to open and his beautiful Kate to appear. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, so wildly he was sure everyone could hear it. His palms and forehead began to sweat. McGee tapped Tony on the shoulder and silently handed him a tissue. "Looks like you need this." he smiled. Tony smiled back and quickly wiped his forehead and palms. The judge looked at Tony and said with a laugh, "Calm down, son. It'll be just fine." Tony was about to reply when he heard the doors open. Jenny entered first carrying a bouquet of flowers. She walked up to the front and stood opposite of Tony and McGee. Then Abby appeared also carrying a bouquet and took her place next to Jenny. This was it. This was the moment that Tony had been dreaming about for the past almost nine months. He saw Gibbs first and then there on Gibbs' arm was Kate. His beautiful, sweetheart proudly walked down the "aisle" on the arm of an extremely happy Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Her eyes were bright and happy as she surveyed the room. The whole team was there. Even Fornell! She smiled warmly at her "family" who all smiled back. Then her eyes attached to Tony. He was looking at her like he had never seen her before. The look of complete awe and love filled his eyes as he gazed at the gorgeous brunette walking towards him. When they reached the front, Kate turned to Gibbs as he kissed her lightly on her cheek and whispered, "I love you, sweetie." "I love you too." she whispered back.

Tony took Kate's hand and gently pulled her close to him. The two gazed at each other, completely and unconditionally head over heels in love with each other. "Do you guys have vows or anything?" the judge asked. Tony took Kate into his arms and said, "Caitlin, I love you so much with everything I have. You're the only woman I could ever imagine the rest of my life with. I want to wake up every morning to see your beautiful face and hold you every night. I know the past ten months have been such a whirlwind but I have fallen crazy in love with you and I want to spend the rest of our lives falling head over heels for you every single day. You showed me what I've been missing all these years. You made me believe in love and I'm madly in love with you, my sweet Katie. You made me want to be a better man." Kate swallowed the lump growing in her throat and moved closer to her Tony. "I love you too, Tony. So much. A year ago, I never would have pictured my life where it is now. But I could never picture it any other way. I don't want to picture it a different way. I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives falling in love with you everyday. I can't wait to become a parent with you and raise our baby girl together. You're my best friend and the man of my dreams. I love you, Anthony Dinozzo." she whispered. They rubbed their noses together and held each other close. The judge smiled as he observed the young couple who were very much in love with each other. He had married couples before but this couple, Anthony and Caitlyn, shared a love so powerful it was like he could feel it in the air around them. He completed the ceremony for them and after about 10 minutes of celebrating with the team he decided to get back to bed as it was now 12:30 in the morning. The team decided to go out for drinks to celebrate. "First round is on me!" Gibbs called out as the family walked out of the courthouse to the bar down the street. Fornell said he'll meet them there. Tony grabbed Kate in his arms and nuzzled her sweetly. "Mrs. Caitlin Dinozzo, my wife..." he murmured in her ear. Kate kissed Tony and replied, "Mr. Anthony Dinozzo, my husband." she giggled and pressed herself closer to him. The small "family" made their way to the bar and spent the next 20 minutes laughing and making speeches. Kate had ordered Root Beer so Tony had also order Root Beer so she wouldn't be the only one not drinking alcohol. 'He's grown into a real gentleman.' Gibbs thought proudly as he looked at his "son." Ducky pulled out an envelope and handed it to Tony. "Here. I know this wedding was kinda sudden so I'm sure you don't even have your honeymoon planned yet." he said with a smile. Kate opened the envelope and gasped. There inside were two first class plane tickets to Hawaii and a Confirmation of Reservations for the honeymoon suite at the Sheraton Hotel in Honolulu on Waikiki Beach. Tony was speechless as Kate squealed with excitement. "The reservations are for 3 weeks for whenever you want. There's no date on them because I didn't know when you guys would want to go, so you just have to call the hotel when you're ready and give them the confirmation code." Kate threw her arms around Ducky and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you so much!" Tony grinned and gave the older man a hug. "Thanks Ducky!" Abby jumped up and said excitedly, "Me next! me next! me next!" and without waiting for anyone to respond pulled out a box from her purse. "This is from me and McGee and Palmer. I knew Tony was going to propose to Kate so we've kinda been planning this one for a while now. And Kate, you have no idea how hard it was for me to keep it a secret! I was so excited." Kate laughed and said, "Trust me, I think I can only imagine." Everyone laughed and Abby handed the box to Kate. Kate opened it as almost fainted. Tony caught Kate and peered inside. There laying in the little velvet box was two sets of keys to a brand new BMW. Tony opened his mouth but no words came out. Oh my gosh are you serious? A new car?" Kate squealed. "This is not just a car, Kate." Tony said dramatically. "This is a BMW..." "It's an SUV" Palmer said. "We were going to get a sporty looking car, but we decided there's not enough room in a sports car for a new baby. And it's sliver!" McGee added. Kate and Tony hugged Abby, McGee and Palmer. "It's in my garage so we can go get it after or tomorrow." Abby said excitedly. Jenny was squirming in her seat as she finally burst. "OK mine and Jethro's turn!" Everyone laughed at her excitement as Gibbs pulled out an envelope from his jacket. He handed it to Kate and smiled. Tony opened it and was completely speechless. It was an advertisement for a new house in Georgetown. It was a beautiful two story house. On the advertisement in big red letters it said SOLD. "No way..." Kate looked at the paper and looked up at Jenny and Gibbs with tears in her eyes. "A new house...?" Gibbs pulled out two sets of keys and handed one to Kate and one to Tony. "The house is completely paid for. You just have to pay taxes and upkeep." "Boss... Jenny... Thank you." Tony said as Jenny hugged him and Kate. Kate and Tony looked around at each other and Tony said, "Wow... We just got a honeymoon, a new car, and a new house!" "And a puppy!" Fornell said as he came up behind them. Tony and Kate turned to see Fornell holding a squirming ball of black and white. Abby, Kate and Jenny squealed as Kate held the little border collie puppy. Tony laughed and tickled the puppy behind his ears. "He's adorable! Thank you Fornell!" Kate said as she passed the puppy to Tony and threw her arms around Fornell. Tony turned to look at everyone and said, "Thank you so much. You guys are the best family any one could ask for." Kate cuddled up next to Tony as she held their little furry baby. The team was silent for a moment before they looked around at each other and in silent agreement everyone raised their glasses for a silent toast, each toasting their own toast to love, family and new beginnings.


	9. Chapter 9

Kate lay stretched out on the couch and rubbed her nine months swollen tummy as she watched Tony rough house with their dog, Jasper. That's what they decided to name the little border collie puppy Fornell had gotten them as their wedding present. She laughed as Jasper climbed on Tony's chest and chewed on his ear. 'My husband...' she thought as she gazed lovingly at Tony. He had spent the past two months potty training Jasper and now they were working on no chewing. Tony was always gentle but firm and very patient and understanding with Jasper. 'He's going to make a great dad.' Kate smiled to herself. She shifted slightly as Baby Sophie moved around inside her. Sophie was moving a lot now, so much that Kate had a suitcase waiting by the door ready to go to the hospital. With the teams help, they had gotten moved into their new house. Gibbs, Tony and McGee had spent an entire day painting Baby Sophie's room while Palmer and Ducky set up furniture and Abby and Kate shopped for decorations and diapers and everything else. Everything was ready for Sophie's arrival. Now all that's left was Baby Sophie... Tony crawled over to Kate and rubbed her tummy. "She was moving a couple minutes ago." Kate said softly as the two of them caressed their unborn child. Tony grinned and leaned over to gently kiss her soft lips. "I love you so much, Katie." he whispered as she ran her fingers through his hair. Tony leaned over and kissed her stomach sweetly. "And I love you too, Baby Sophie." Kate giggled and pulled him up onto the couch with her. He maneuvered himself so he was laying behind Kate and she was resting in his arms. 'This is perfect.' Tony thought as he held his beautiful wife and caressed their baby. 'Why didn't I settle down earlier?' he asked himself as Kate snuggled closer into his strong arms. He watched her chest rise and fall peacefully as she held onto his hand. "I love you" he heard her softly whisper. Tony kissed the top of the head and whispered "I love you too, my sweet Caitlin." Their fingers intertwined together over Kate's stomach protectively over their baby as they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Later, that night Jasper woke restless. He didn't need to go to the bathroom and he didn't want to chew anything... he wasn't hungry or thirsty but something was definitely different. He looked over at his Mommy and Daddy who were fast asleep on the couch and something told him to go wake them up. Just as he slowly approached them, Kate jumped and clutched her stomach. Tony woke up and held her as she began her breathing exercises the doctor told her to do when the baby got too excited. "Are you OK honey?" Tony asked as Kate clutched his hand in a death grip. "Tony, I think it's time!" Tony sprang into action. Gibbs had told him how important it was to get Kate to the hospital immediately when the baby was ready to come. Jasper danced around their feet; he didn't know what was happening but he knew it was important. Tony grabbed Kate's jacket and shoes and helped her into them. She gasped and clutched her stomach and the baby kicked again. Tony held her and gently kissed her. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Everything's going to be alright. When it hurts, you can squeeze my hand. As hard as you need to. I'm here for you" Kate smiled and hugged Tony and whispered, "I'm scared... What if I don't make a good mother...?" Tony took Kate's face in his hands and looked into her big hazel eyes that were looking back at him, frightened. "My beautiful Caitlin, you're going to be a wonderful mother. I already know this. You're so sweet and caring and loving. I've seen you with children before and you're amazing with them. You love so deeply and feel things so much stronger than anyone I've ever met. You're going to be the best mother there is. Sophie is so lucky to have you as a mother. So lucky." he whispered as he kissed her, reassuring her of his love and confidence in her.

They jumped as Sophie reminded them of her presence. Tony grabbed Jasper and put him in his kennel. "Sorry, Buddy but we can't have anything chewed up while we're gone." he said as he gave Jasper the huge bone Kate had bought him that they were saving for this night. It was big enough to keep him busy for at least a day. Kate blew Jasper a kiss and said, "Bye Sweetie! We'll be home soon!" Jasper sat and watched his Mommy and Daddy leave. They'll be home soon and in the meantime, this bone needs some company. Tony helped Kate out as he grabbed the bag and his phone and keys. They got into the car and Tony sped off to the hospital. Tony quickly called Gibbs and told him to meet them at the hospital. Jenny was with Gibbs, which made Kate and Tony smirk, and she said she'll pick up Abby, Ducky, McGee and Palmer in her car and meet them at the hospital. Gibbs was going to take his car and meet Tony and Kate at the hospital. When they arrived, Tony and Gibbs helped Kate into the hospital and the nurse got her into a room immediately. "Tony!" Kate called for him. Tony was by her side in an instant and held her hand. "Please don't leave me." Tony looked deep into her eyes and promised, "I'll never leave you." Gibbs placed a hand on Tony's shoulder and told him he was going to wait in the waiting room for the rest of the team as he gave Kate a kiss on the cheek and watched Tony and Kate entered the delivery room hand in hand.

Tony's heart was beating wildly. He watched as his beautiful wife struggled in pain. His hand had gone numb after an hour of fierce squeezing. He had heard stories about "the delivery room" but it was so much more intense than Tony was expecting. There were moments when Tony wanted to shoot the damn doctor and times when he wanted her pain to be transferred to him through osmosis if it meant she wouldn't be in any more pain. Everytime she whimpered or squeezed her eyes shut to stop herself from crying out, Tony's heart broke a little more. He hated seeing her cry... He kissed her tears away and murmured sweet, encouraging words in her ear as she squeezed the life out of his hand. Out in the waiting room, Gibbs, Jenny, Abby, McGee, Ducky, and Palmer waited patiently. After about 3 hours Tony came out to keep everyone (especially Abby and Jenny) informed of the progress. Abby threw her arms around Tony and hugged him. "How are you doing?" Gibbs asked him quietly. Tony looked around at his family who were all there for him and Kate and then looked Gibbs in the eye and said, "I'm terrified. And I don't understand why. Everyday we go after murderers, serial killers, and cheaters and I can do that. But the thought of being a father, scares the shit out of me!" Gibbs' heart went out to the younger man and he said, "I was scared too when Kelly was born." Tony looked at Gibbs in disbelief. "You were scared? Boss, you're not scared of anything..." Gibbs chuckled and said, "I was terrified of becoming a father. I think all dads-to-be are get scared at some point. Its OK to be scared." He told him. Tony smiled warmly and said, "Thanks Boss. I should get going back to Kate to make sure she hasn't murdered the doctors and nurses yet. Oh can I please ask one of you to do me a favor? Jasper is in his kennel and he probably needs to go out..." Palmer jumped up and volunteered to take him out for a walk and get him some food. "Thanks Palmer." Tony said as he handed him a house key.

The next 3 hours were excruciating, but Baby Sophie was almost there. Kate was exhausted. She had never been more worn out than now. She couldn't wait to hold her little girl. She wondered what Sophie would look like and she hoped to God she looked nothing like Steve. She could still remember the day when Tony, Gibbs, and McGee went after Steve. She was assured she didn't need to know all the details, and all she needed to know was that he was in the hospital and when he healed he was going to jail and he would never come near her or the baby again. She looked up as Tony stroked her hair and rubbed her back. "You're doing great, we're almost there." And then just like that, the miracle began. Sophie began to push and Kate pushed and the doctors and nurses rushed around and Tony prayed to God that their baby just be healthy and safe. The doctor called him over and Tony watched in complete awe as he saw a tiny head pushing through. There she was. And she was perfect. Everything around Tony seemed to disappear and only he and Kate and their new baby were there. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Tony had never seen a baby being born but this was way better than any moment of his life, next to his marriage to Kate. The doctor nudged him and asked, "Would you like to cut the cord?" Tony looked at the gorgeous little baby and then looked at Kate who smiled and nodded encouragingly. "Yeah... yeah... of course..." he stuttered. His hand shook but the doctor guided him. Then he placed Sophie in Kate's arms and Tony stepped over and sat down on the bed next to his wife and daughter. Kate gently held her beautiful baby girl close to her heart and cooed happily at her. Tony looked down at Kate and Sophie and tears welled up in his eyes. This was phenomenal, bigger than anything he could have ever imagined. Kate looked up and smiled at Tony. "Isn't she beautiful?" Tony wrapped Kate in his arms and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. "She's gorgeous, just like her mommy." he whispered. Together the couple gazed lovingly at their tiny baby. She already had a little tuft of dark brown hair. Tony gently reached out and stroked her tiny head. "She's so tiny..." Tony whispered as he measured his hand compared to her head. "Look, my hand covers her entire head." Kate giggled softly and said, "Good thing. Any bigger and it would so much more painful..." she rested her head on Tony's shoulder and said, "Here, do you want to hold her?" Tony shifted slightly so Kate could hand her to him. "I've never held a baby..." he breathed as he held his baby daughter for the first time. Kate felt her heart burst with joy as she watched Tony hold Sophie for the first time. Tony didn't know what to think. He was so... he didn't even have the right word for the feelings that were running through him. He smiled at his newborn daughter and thought for sure he had died and gone to heaven. Sophie scrunched up her face and began to wail. Tony began to panic. "What did I do wrong? Oh no, I'm sorry little Sophie. I didn't mean to scare you. Oh Kate take her I don't know what I did!" Kate reached for her and softly began to sing to her. "There, there sweetheart. There's no need to fuss!" Kate smiled down at Sophie. She looked over at Tony to see him standing far away in the corner wringing his hands looking ashamed. "Tony! What's wrong?" Tony looked at his feet and said, "I'm not good with children. I made her cry. I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry. I should go..." Tony said frantically as he looked around for the door. Kate felt her heart break as Tony beat himself up. "Tony, come here." she said softly but firmly. She reached out her hand and waited for Tony to take it. She pulled him close to her and kissed him sweetly. "You are going to be an amazing father! Trust me. And you did nothing wrong. She's a little baby; she's going to cry. A lot." she said as she looked Tony in his eyes. "Here, hold her again." Tony hesitantly took Sophie in his arms and looked at Kate unsure of what to do next. He was scared of making her cry again. Kate smiled and motioned for him to look down at Sophie. Tony felt his heart melt all over again as he gazed at his innocent little baby. He tried to memorize every inch of his new baby. Kate snuggled closer to Tony and kissed his cheek. "See? Told you she likes you!" A nurse came in with a camera and offered to take a picture of the new family. Tony set Sophie in Kate's arms and wrapped his arms tightly around Kate. "I love you Kate." he whispered. "I love you too Tony." she whispered back.

After Kate rested and Tony held Sophie for a while, Tony decided to go get Gibbs and the team. He walked proudly over to his family and grinned. "I am a father to a beautiful healthy baby girl named Sophie Autumn Dinozzo!" Abby squealed and all but knocked the wind out of him. Gibbs caught them and hugged Tony. "Congratulations!" McGee, Jenny, Ducky and Palmer all took their turns giving Tony a hug and congratulating him. Tony led the way to Kate's room to introduce his family to his daughter. The team entered the room quietly and gasped softly as they saw an exhausted but happy Kate holding a bundle of pink. Kate smiled at her family and allowed Abby to gently take Sophie. "Hi Baby Sophie. I'm your Auntie Abby... Oh she's beautiful..." she breathed. "She's gorgeous!" Jenny said as she gazed lovingly at Sophie. Abby gently placed her in Jenny arms and everyone watched as Jenny cooed at Sophie. Sophie remained asleep as Gibbs held her tightly to his chest. Tears gathered in his eyes as he remembered holding Kelly when she was born. He whispered gently to her that he would protect her the way he wasn't able to for Kelly and Shannon. The room was silent as Gibbs held the tiny baby close to his heart and let his silent tears fall. He hated crying especially in front of people, but this was his family and he hadn't felt this peacefully happy in a long time. Reluctantly, he let Ducky hold her. "Oh, I have to many stories to tell you, little one." Ducky said fondly. Jenny rolled her eyes as Abby smirked and McGee tried to hold in a laugh. Ducky huffed and let McGee hold her. McGee smiled and quietly told her that when she was older he'll help her with her trigonometry and calculus homework. Palmer wasn't sure how to hold a baby so Jenny had to show him how to which amused everyone. Tony and Kate beamed as they watched each one of their family fall head over heels in love with their baby daughter. Sophie had so many people looking out for her.

Later that day when everyone but Gibbs and Abby had gone home to get some sleep, Kate was going to take a nap but first she and Tony had something to ask Abby and Gibbs. "We were talking and we really want you two to be Sophie's godparents...?" Kate asked as Tony smiled at them. Abby hugged them both and agreed. "Of course!" They turned towards Gibbs who had Sophie in his arms again. He gently kissed Sophie's head and said, "I would be honored." He lovingly gazed at his new goddaughter before passing her to her mother. Kate held her sweet daughter close to her heart knowing if something happened to her and Tony, Sophie would always be loved and safe in this world.


	10. Chapter 10

The next year, Kate and Tony found themselves more worn out and exhausted than they even thought possible. Endless nights were spent consoling a crying Sophie and changing diapers and cleaning messes. But they didn't mind. Sometimes, Tony would come home to find Kate gently rocking Sophie to sleep and singing softly. He would just watch them; his gorgeous wife and his precious baby girl. Kate loved it when Tony held Sophie. He was so gentle and loving and it always made her heart melt watching her sweet husband and her beautiful daughter. And Jasper loved Sophie. He would bring her his toys when she would cry hoping since his rawhide bone made him happy, it would make her happy as well. Sometimes he would wake up when she would cry and keep his Mommy or Daddy company while they rocked her back to sleep. After many talks and months of decisions Kate decided to quit her job and become a full time mother. Sophie and Tony were her whole world and she would gladly give up the job she loved so much and worked so hard for her family. However, she would talk to Tony about the cases they were working on and give him a profile for their suspect when they came to a dead end. Her desk was now occupied by a young Israeli woman named Ziva who Kate liked very much. She certainly knew how to keep Tony in line and Kate loved it that Ziva could kick Tony's ass in a heart beat. Abby came over regularly to spend time with her new goddaughter and Kate. She would fill Kate in on all the trouble Tony was getting himself into while Kate wasn't there. Even though Kate would shake her head and promise to reprimand him, she was laughing inside. Tony had grown up so much and yet he was still as goofy as ever. When Ducky would come over, he would sit in the rocking chair and tell Sophie endless stories about his times in Scotland as well as stories of her Mommy and Daddy when they were "young agents who bickered and fought non stop." "So much that Grandpa Gibbs would want to bang their heads together!" he would say with a laugh. Sophie found Ducky's laughter very amusing and would try very hard to pull his little bow tie off. She also loved to pull Palmer's glasses off and throw them as far as she could and laugh when Palmer couldn't see.

She loved the whole team who spoiled her non stop, but she loved her Grandpa Gibbs most of all next to her Mommy and Daddy of course. She was happiest when the team would come over to their house and Grandpa Gibbs would hold her and sing to her in his soft but gruff voice. When Kate and Tony took their honeymoon to Hawaii, Sophie and Jasper stayed with Grandpa Gibbs and Grandma Jenny. Jenny had come downstairs to the basement to find Gibbs laying under his boat with Sophie sleeping peacefully on his chest and Jasper next to them. She took a picture to show Kate and Tony when they returned. Everyone fell in love with Sophie. Her sweet disposition and love of all people made her a favorite in the NCIS building. She loved to be held and made her rounds visiting everyone in the building under Tony and Kate's protective eyes. Tony and Kate were happier than they ever imagined. They had each other, their beautiful Sophie, their dog, their family and life was good.

Kate lay in bed in Tony's strong arms with Sophie snuggled protectively between them. Tony reached out and smoothed Kate's hair from her face and kissed her sweetly. "I love you, Katie" he whispered. Kate kissed him back and ran her fingers lightly across his chest. "I love you, Tony." she whispered back as Tony caught her wandering fingers and kissed them. Kate giggled and brought his lips down to meet hers. They spent the next few minutes gazing lovingly at each other until they heard Sophie's little sneeze. Tony chuckled as he wiped her mouth with his shirt. "Bless you Sweetie." he whispered to her. Kate stroked her daughter's cute little face and watched as Sophie opened her eyes to look up at her parents. She made happy gurgling noises before clasping her tiny hand around Tony's thumb. "Daaah!" she screeched happily. Tony and Kate giggled together as Sophie tried hard to say "Daddy." Sophie turned to Kate and placed one hand on Kate's face. She smiled brightly and said, "Maaahh-mmmyy!" Kate moved her head slightly and kissed her precious baby on the tip of her nose. Sophie giggled and stuck Tony's finger in her mouth and slobbered on it. Tony grinned and leaned over to rub his nose against Kate's nose. Kate tilted her head and kissed him. "You know, we've come along way. Two and a half years ago, I probably would've kicked you so hard if you tried to touch me." Tony laughed and said, "That's not all you would do!" Kate smirked and said , "True. You probably wouldn't be able to ever have sex again..." Tony looked at Kate in horror and gulped. "That's so rude..." he said in disbelief as he gazed at his wife who was trying to look all cute and innocent but was trying so hard not to laugh. He pinched her hip and kissed her. "We grew up, Tony. Both of us. Before, I always told myself that it was you that needed to grow up, but in reality it was both of us. But we had to grow up in different ways. You had to learn not to be so immature and learn to be more respectful. And I had to learn to look deeper into people and not be so judgmental. You were always everything I wanted I just didn't want to see it because I just wanted to see the "immature and obnoxious Dinozzo" instead of everything else you were. It gave me an excuse not to fall in love with you. I'm sorry." She said quietly. Tony took Kate's face in his big strong hands and kissed her sweetly. "Kate, I love you so much. And there's nothing to apologize for. I spent the first two years trying to annoy you and tease you because I hoped you would pay more attention to me that way. But that was the past and nothing can ever change the past. And I don't regret any minute of it. I'd do it all again if it brings us here to where we are today. Do you regret any of it?" he asked quietly. Kate smiled and shook her head, "No. Except that we didn't fall in love sooner." Tony laughed and pulled her closer. They wrapped their arms around each other and held their daughter securely between them. "But then we wouldn't have grown up." he whispered. Kate kissed her sweet husband on his lips and thanked God for the journey that brought her to Tony Dinozzo.

**The End.**


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